What We Left Behind
by Softrock-showtunesgirlscout22
Summary: Emma knew the price for her sacrifice. What it had done to her parents, friends. Her children. She'd just begun to rebuilt back her life as a new ray of hope has come to her life, but what about that she'd left behind. Meanwhile David receives a call for help from someone from his past. Snow/Charming. Emma/August. Slight Hook.


**What We Left Behind**

 **Emma knew the price for her sacrifice. What it had done to her parents, friends. Her children. She'd just begun to rebuilt back her life as a new ray of hope has come to her life, but what about that she'd left behind. Meanwhile David receives a call for help from someone from his past. Snow/Charming. Emma/August. Slight Hook.**

 **Takes place about four years after season 4.**

 **Don't own anything but my imagination and frustrations**

 **Chapter 1:**

 _One, two three... make a wish._

She closed her eyes as she made it... Not sure what she wanted and even so, everyone insisted on her making one... wait. Everyone? Well yeah, she wasn't alone on her birthday anymore; her parents even made it a national event or something every time. She often forgot who they were and how they've been before all of it.

Before her life and everyone's destiny had been changed forever.

Claps and cheers erupted in the room and she felt someone touching her arm. She looked down to a pair of deep blue eyes "Can I have cake now?" the small voice asked making everyone chuckle. Emma smiled and touched the little boy's head. Dirty brown just like their father. Her three year old brother smirked up at her as she cut the first piece and gave it to him.

"Happy birthday Emma!" Her mother said picking up the little prince whose face was now covered in chocolate frosting. She totted him as Snow wrapped them both in a big hug. Henry offered his mother a big grin as he hugged her as well, a little girl in his arms.

"Mama!" she giggled as Emma took her from Henry. "Mama cake!"

"There you have her" Grumpy said bluntly "Don't let the years get to ya kid" the dwarf smiled "You look great"

"Geez" Emma joked "Thanks"

"No problem!" Emma caught a glimpse of David and August talking and walked towards them.

"Happy Birthday sweetheart" Her father kissed her cheek "Looks like your brother murdered your cake" David laughed as he motioned towards Henry and Neal plotting to get some more cake.

"Nah" Emma smiled sweetly "its okay let him have fun" David kissed Emma's cheek as well as his granddaugther's forehead. "It's not like everyday is my birthday, right?"

"Right." He agreed. "You just seem..."

"Charming!" Snow called her husband "I need help!" She chuckled Neal planted a kiss on her cheek.

"And one would think your mother can fight trolls" David rolled his eyes as he put on a hard face and Neal instantly settled down. Emma and August watched amused as David winked at them.

"Have I told you that your father scares me?" August joked wrapping her into a hug "Charming but scary"

"He seems to have that effect on people" Emma said as August kissed her forehead. Emma watched with a bit of nostalgia, as her father tickled her baby brother. It had taken her a while to get used to having her parents have those little moments with Neal . Those moments that she never had because of the curse.

"You okay?" August touched her cheek gently as she leaned her head back. "It's never going to be easy..." He said insightfully. Emma turned to look up at him. "But your parents will always love you Emma."

"I don't know what you are talking about" Emma rolled her eyes. Henry was walking up to them in that moment. He too was covered with chocolate rubbing his cheek.

"Mom?" He looked worriedly at the longing in Emma's eyes. "It's your party you know?" Emma looked down at her now teenage son "You are not supposed to look sad on your birthday"

"I am not sad Henry" Emma said quickly looking around the room "I am just thinking..."

"So?" Henry beamed at her "Stop thinking and join the party" Emma touched her son's head and smiled.

"He is right you know?" August smiled at Henry "This is all about Princess Emma" She rolled her eyes. She still liked Princess Leia better even though she had stolen it from George Lucas, oh wait, he could have had that idea because of her, anyway... moving on. August took the little girl from her as she had wanted to dance and Emma watched as August was delighted. It broke her heart a little though

"Emma!" Neal came and stopped right in front of his sister shyly. "You sad?" he asked worriedly when he examined her face.

"A little" Emma admitted "But sometimes being sad is a good thing" She kneeled to pick him up. Neal touched his chin thoughtfully as David did sometimes when he was really focused and Emma smiled "You know what might cheer me up?" Neal stared at her a little bit confused. She pointed to her cheek and he kissed her smiling. Emma looked around to see her parents smiling at the scene.

"This isn't easy for her David" Snow told her husband seriously "But she is trying so hard"

"I know" David kissed her cheek. "Come on" They walked hand in hand to where Emma was.

"What?" Emma asked as she handed Neal to Snow. She could see the sense of longing in their eyes.

"Nothing" Snow looked at David "Everything is fine."

"Right" Emma said mockingly glancing at her brother. "Shall we?"

"Yes" Snow agreed looking at Henry. "May I have this dance?" Henry took Snow's hand as she put Neal down.

"So now you are trading me?" David asked playfully as Neal and Henry chuckled. Snow winked at him as she and the boy disappeared in the crowd. David crouched down to pick his son "Now what?"

"More cake?" the little boy suggested. Earning a smile from his dad.

* * *

"This is fun" Emma said with a smile as she looked up at August, Kayley rested her head against the crook of his neck "I can't believe I am saying that"

"It can be fun if you want it to be" August said kissing her forehead as he rocked the little girl side by side . She smiled again and then looked around the room. It all had changed, she couldn't beleive she was here, in the middle of Granny's with August of all people "See?" August smiled at Neal and Alexandra, Kayley following closely a moment later, were chasing each other and some couples were dancing to a song, from the corner of her eye she spotted her mother and father dancing lost in each other's company.

"Mind if I intrude" David touched August's shoulder softly. He stepped aside and bowed. "You do know how proud I am, don't you?" David said as August was gone.

"I know" Emma looked up at her father's bright blue eyes "thank you"

"For what?" the prince asked confused.

"For not giving up on me, giving me life, being mine... your pick." David smiled sweetly at her "I mean I always thought you... never mind" Maybe she would ruin this nice moment of dancing with her father into something that wasn't. That could wait.

"Emma, we did what he had to as a family, I know fron experience you'd do the same thing for your kids..."

She really would, specially after what had happened to Killian.

Exhausted, said her goodbyes just few hours later. "Need a hand?" August asked as he saw Emma pick up Kaley from a couch.

Emma smiled as she nodded, follwing him as they left Granny's.

* * *

"She had fun, didn't she? I had not seen her smile like that in a long time" Snow said as she and David made their way to Neal's room. The little boy was soundly asleep and on his father's arms. "I guess that is what matters"

"Yes" David agreed kissing her cheek. They changed Neal and put him to bed, he opened his eyes slightly "Good night little one"

"Night daddy" Neal smiled as his father leaned to kiss his forehead and handed him a stuffed wolf given to him as a baby by Red.

"Good night baby" Snow said touching his nose and kissing his cheek "Sweet dreams"

"Charming?" Snow said once they reached their room a moment later. David smiled up at her but instantly noticed the sadness on her voice as she moved to the crib which held the newest member of their family, baby Finnlay, Finn for short.

"What's wrong?" He reached to touch her hand and instead she captured his lips with hers. No argument there.

"Nothing" Snow said once they broke apart "I suppose Emma's birthday is always a very hard date for me, even when it is a beautiful thing to celebrate " David understood what she meant. This had been the day that their destinies had been altered and all thrown to the cruelty of fate. "I just wonder… what would have been? Those birthdays and first balls"

"And princesses lessons?" David asked ceasing and eyebrow.

"Hunting with dad" Snow smiled sitting on the bed after she kissed her baby boy. "Getting in trouble"

"Night stories before bed" David continued sitting next to her "We have that with our boys."

"Yes" Snow said sadly "But it's not the same, and I just feel like.."

"We should have been there" David rested his head on the pillow as he laid face up "I am just so happy we have her with us, no matter how old she is" He felt Snow touching his head and playing with his hair.

That night he dreamt of the little girl with golden curly hair and bright green eyes running around the castle with scrapped knees, the one who hadn't had a destiny to bear. One that was just. His little girl

And that little girl wasn't far from them either as she entered the flat, which she had taken on her parent's insistance that she needed a place to live and they had moved into a small house, a little after FInn had been born.

It was clear they couldn't just keep living in that cramped space, still David had managed to acomodate it for Emma and her little family to live in.

* * *

 **Ages:**

 **Henry: 16**

 **Neal: 3 1/2**

 **Kayley: 2**

 **Finn : 6 months**

 **Okay guys! So the story changed dramatically as new things began to occur to me as of what could happen. It's no lie I love Emma and August to pieces but I also love Hook so I was so torn! You will find out more on kayley soon! And what really happened to Hook?**


End file.
